The modern era of discovery and clinical use of small molecule therapeutics to treat infectious diseases is threatened by rapidly spreading drug resistance. Drug resistance affects all major groups of infectious diseases but is particularly troubling among causative agents of such killer infections as diarrheal and respiratory diseases, malaria and tuberculosis. Concerted efforts among basic, applied and drug discovery researchers are urgently needed to prevent further spread of resistance and to develop effective approaches to anticipate and to counter the present and future drug resistant pathogens. This application requests partial support for a meeting on the Multi-Drug Resistance Efflux Systems as part of Gordon Research Conference series to be held in Lucca, Italy, April 25-May 1st, 2015. This conference is the major forum for scientists and researchers involved in studies of the roles of efflux in drug resistance, distribution and discovery, biochemical and biophysical principles enabling drug efflux, and in the development of novel The long-term goal of this conference is to provide a systemic and molecular description of the multi-drug efflux process and to design inhibitors/modulators to overcome the actions of the pumps responsible for the MDR phenotype. The specific aims of this application are: (1) to provide an effective forum for established and young therapeutic, diagnostic and epidemiological tools to modulate drug efflux. investigators to exchange new data, findings and ideas in the field of multi-drug transporters; (2) to discuss recent findings on the roles of efflux transporters in human physiology and pathology and to set new directions and priorities; (3) to analyze fundamental mechanisms of various efflux systems and to evaluate recent efforts in development of new therapeutic and diagnostic tools based on these mechanisms; (4) to assess novel and emerging roles and mechanisms of drug efflux in the environment, bioengineering and cancer stem cells; (5) to organize and support the first Gordon Research Seminar for young investigators. Participants of the highly appreciated and productive past GRC meetings on Multi-drug Efflux Systems have made unprecedented progress in the understanding of fundamental mechanisms, diversity and functions of multi-drug efflux transporters. The significance of the 6th meeting is in translating this fundamental knowledge into development of novel therapeutic, diagnostic and bioengineering tools to address challenges of drug resistance in clinics. PUBLIC